Newsletter 14 2013 - Subscribe

14th Volume, No. 14
MIDWEEK–EDITION
Dated 20 March 2013
BUYING, SALES, NEW BUILDING, RENAMING AND OTHER TUGS TOWING & OFFSHORE INDUSTRY NEWS
TUGS & TOWING NEWS
T UGBOAT T APUHI
BEGINS
W ELLINGTON
VOYAGE
CentrePort’s new tug Tapuhi,
constructed in China, is
expected
to
arrive
in
Wellington Harbour about
the time of the 45th
anniversary of the sinking of
the Wahine. CentrePort’s
Captain
Charles
Smith
oversaw final delivery checks
in China last week and said
Taipuhi’s scheduled Wahine
Day anniversary arrival in
Wellington was particularly
appropriate. For on the
morning of the Wahine storm on April 10, 1968 the old Tapuhi, of World War II vintage, made
valiant attempts to assist the Wahine. She was too light to be of any real assistance and her towing
gear proved to be too puny. She had been built to undertake routine berthing operations around
Wellington’s wharves and was unable to be of any real assistance in attempts to tow Wahine off the
rocks at the entrance to Wellington Harbour in the howling southerly. Captain Smith said in 1969, a
year after the disaster, the then Wellington Harbour Board ordered the first of three new, larger
tugs. ‘‘Had they been there on Wahine day, the outcome for the Wahine would have been entirely
different. ‘‘The new Tapuhi is now in the East China Sea and is well on her way to Wellington. The
old Tapuhi served in the port for 25 years starting in 1947. ‘‘Tapuhi made valiant attempts to assist
Wahine when she foundered in 1968,’’ Captain Smith said. The new Tapuhi is capable of pulling 68
tonnes and has been bought to ensure CentrePort will be able to service larger vessels such as
Cunard’s Line Queen Mary 2, which arrives in Wellington tomorrow morning. CentrePort chief
executive Blair O’Keeffe said the new Tapuhi had been built at the Damen shipyard in Changde and
was 250 gross tonnes. It completed a lengthy series of tests on the Yangtze River before embarking
on its 5374 nautical mile delivery voyage. In Maori Tapuhi means ‘to nurse or care for.’ Tapuhi’s
fellow tugs in Wellington will be the modern Tiaki which was built in Vietnam and, like Tapuhi,
has a bollard pull of 68 tonnes. Toia and Ngahue, both built in New Zealand, have Voith Schneider
propulsion systems and have a bollard pull of 28 tonnes. All up the Tapuhi project is expected to cost
CentrePort $12 million. (Source & Photo: Stuff)
T UG M ALTA
H ARBOUR
TOWS RIG
N OBEL H O MER F ERRINGTON
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I NTO
M ARSAXLOKK
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
Rig Nobel Homer Ferrington
arrived in Malta on 10th
March 2013 to carry out its
routine
maintenance
interventions. The rig started
its voyage from Haifa, Israel
on 26th February and was
towed to Malta by the AHTS
VOS Atlantis, with AHTS
VOS Challenger standing by,
up to the pilot’s station 1.5
nautical miles south east of
Marsaxlokk. From there on
tugs Spinola, Pawlina, Sea
Salvor and Wenzina took over, towed into the harbour the rig and assisted same until it was safely
berthed at Freeport Terminal 2 Roro berth. In total the operation employed 12 hours, with tugs
Spinola and Pawlina remaining engaged till completion of operation at 18.30Hrs. (Press Relese: Tug
Malta)
Advertisement
P ORT
OF
K AOHSIUNG
TO
G ET N EW T UGS
The Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC)’s plan to purchase two new 5,200hp harbor tugs
is part of Port of Kaohsiung’s overall strategy to enhance Asia’s regional transshipment,
comprehensive logistics and vessel handling services and to expand port and harbor facilities to meet
the needs of increasingly large cargo vessels. The new tugs will replace outdated models and ensure
port capabilities to service post-Panamax ships. The plan is being implemented in three phases
between January 1st, 2011 and December 31st, 2013. The final bid approval was made on August
10th, 2011 with an approved budget of NT$419.9 million. A delivery contract was signed with the
bid winner, CSBC Corporation, on August 19th, 2011. Blueprints were then approved according to
the contract. The 4 contracted construction phases include the work commencement phase (finished
on June 1st, 2012); keel construction phase (finished on November 23rd, 2012); launch phase (tug 1:
to be finished on March 21st / tug 2: to be finished on April 22nd, 2013); and final delivery (tug 1: to
be finished on July 6th / tug 2: to be finished on August 7th, 2013). The project is proceeding
according to schedule. Once delivered, the new tugs will be able to handle modern container vessels
up to 10,000 TEU. Their addition to the Kaohsiung Port work fleet will increase service efficiency
and safety and further enhance Port of Kaohsiung’s international competitiveness. (Source: TIPC)
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14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
L ES A BEILLES ’ EXPERTISE AT THE FOR E IN A WORLD FIRST : TOWING
THE WORLD ’ S LARGEST CONTAI NERS HIP , THE CMA CGM M ARCO P OLO
On March 9th, the crew on the Abeille
Bourbon successfully completed towing
operations on the CMA CGM Marco Polo,
the jewel in CMA CGM’s crown and the
largest containership in the world (capable
of carrying up to 16,020 TEUs(*)), as part of
an exercise organized by the Atlantic
French Maritime Prefecture. The Abeille
Bourbon is a tug specializing in salvage and
assistance and chartered by the French
Navy to protect the French coastline. The
vessel provided its services for an Atlantic
French Maritime Prefecture exercise to test the latest generation of the CMA CGM Marco Polo
containership’s emergency towing arrangement. The containership is 396 m long, weighs 186,000
tons and has a 16,020 container capacity. As part of the exercise, the CMA CGM Marco Polo
simulated damage to its propeller system when leaving the Ouessant traffic separation scheme. The
vessel naturally positioned itself across the wind. Its size provided a large surface for wind impact
and the containership soon began to drift. The crew on board the Abeille Bourbon, headed by the
Captain Thierry Choquet, launched a fast tow procedure and focused on tug maneuvers to turn the
CMA CGM Marco Polo head to wind. The Salvage tug therefore moved closer using a line-throwing
gun and a pass rope to link up with the CMA CGM Marco Polo. In adverse weather conditions, this
maneuver is risky as it requires the high seas salvage tug to be very close to the ship it is assisting.
The Abeille Bourbon reached a speed of 6.7 knots with a bollard pull of approximately 90 t. “The
operation went perfectly. This new experience is an asset to the Abeille Bourbon crew’s expertise.
The Abeille Bourbon, with over 21,000 horsepower and 200 t in traction, has once again
demonstrated its ability to assist new types of vessels e.g. latest generation containerships,” says
Christian Quillivic, Managing Director of Les Abeilles, BOURBON’s affiliate in charge of assistance,
salvage and anti-pollution. (Source: Bourbon; Photo: Marine Nationale - A. Monot)
W ILL
TUG CREW MAKE IT SAFELY BACK TO
L AGOS ?
There is growing concern for the safety of the crew of
an unseaworthy tug that has gone missing, just weeks
after it set sail from Manx waters. Detention notices
were served on ex-Admiralty vessel Juliette Pride II,
and its sister ship Juliette Pride I, (ex SD Sheepdog2012; Sheepdog 2008) preventing them from setting sail
from Newlyn, Cornwall. Both Tanzanian-flagged vessels
were deemed unsafe following an inspection by
Coastguard surveyors who found numerous defects and
deficiencies, many relating to safety equipment. But in
the early hours of Sunday, March 3, both boats jumped
detention. They are believed to be heading for Lagos, Nigeria, where their new owner Prince Akoto
is based. But neither vessel has been spotted since – sparking fears about the crew’s safety. Five
Georgian crew members of the Juliette Pride II were stranded in the island for months after the boat
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14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
arriving here in mid-December, having encountered engine problems. With the seamen running
desperately low on food and money, the Salvation Army stepped in to provide food parcels.
Negotiations conducted via harbour officials subsequently resulted in the mariners receiving their
unpaid wages totalling $35,000 and air fares home to Georgia. Before they left, they thanked the
Manx authorities for all their help. The vessel, with a Ghanaian replacement crew, set sail last
month on the next leg of its passage to Nigeria, only to be impounded on its arrival at Newlyn where
it had rejoined its sister vessel. Jo Rawlings, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), said:
‘Following inspections, we issued detention notices on the Juliette Pride 1 and 2, preventing them
from setting sail. These notices are issued when vessels are deemed unsafe. ‘In the early hours of
Sunday, March 3, both vessels jumped detention from Newlyn harbour. We are now looking into
this matter. We issue detention notices for a reason. We only do this if we are really concerned. We
deemed them to be unsafe – certainly not safe enough to set sail. There is an obvious concern that
wherever they are heading, they may not make it in one piece. It’s not looking too hopeful we are
able to track them down, especially if they’ve left UK waters and gone into international waters –
we don’t have the power to bring them back.’ Coastguard officials believe on-board tracking
equipment may have been deliberately disabled. (Source: Isle of Man Today; Photo: B.Clark))
Advertisement
BY
KEEPING N.Y. REAL - ESTATE WOLVES AT BAY ,
STAYS A WORKING WATE RFRONT
‘T UGBOAT A LLEY ’
In recent times, the
pressure
to
acquire
industrial
waterfront
property and to develop it
into
an
urban
environment has been
unrelenting. But, so far,
“Tugboat Alley” on New
York City’s Staten Island
has survived. And things
look brighter for the
island’s north shore industrial waterfront lining Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill, two channels that
separate New York from New Jersey and form the entrance to both harbors. Not very long ago, the
waterfronts lining America’s port cities were, for the most part, the domain of heavy industry —
wharves, warehouses, factories, shipyards, fish processors, chandlers, tugboat companies and the
like. Greasy spoons, bars and bordellos shared an environment ripe with the smell of diesel fuel and
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14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
rotting fish, often referred to as the smell of money. The genteel roamed elsewhere. Today the
aroma wafting along urban shores and caressing the balconies of condominiums rising up from
waterfront walkways, punctuated by green parks and marinas, often comes from upscale waterfront
restaurants. Tugboat Alley is home to many of the country’s major tug companies including
McAllister, Moran, Penn Maritime (recently bought by Kirby Corp.), Reinauer, Bouchard. Smaller
companies with a tug or two, such as Brown Towing, are located there. Related industries such as
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Caddell Dry Dock, Bay Shipyard and Clean Waters, a barge and bilge
cleaning company, occupy the shoreline accessed by Richmond Terrace. For Steve Kress, vice
president of operations for McAllister Towing and vice chairman of the Port of New York and New
Jersey’s Tug and Barge Committee, balance is the answer in the struggle between industry and urban
development. “The north shore of Staten Island is full of tug companies and is very vibrant,” said
Kress. “There are hundreds of people employed in our business along the Kills. Everybody wants
access to the water. I’d like a place on the water. We understand that, but there has to be a blend of
the two: commercial interests and the aesthetics of the waterfront. We’re not saying that we own
the waterfront. We’re saying the water has to be shared.” Kress recalls when McAllister had Tug &
Barge Dry Docks, the company’s repair yard at the foot of Pavonia Avenue in Hoboken, N.J. Until
1986, that is. “The city foreclosed on the property and kicked us out. By eminent domain the city of
Hoboken turned Tug & Barge into condos and office buildings.” But the relationship between the
Staten Island waterfront industries and the New York City Economic Development Corp. (EDC) is
much improved. “The city and the EDC are on board with us now and are very helpful,” Kress said.
“They understand the need to share the waterfront. That’s a big change from the past. We’ve gone
from no contact to constant contact. Now they are in the forefront and we take politicians on
tugboat rides so they can see the issue from the water side.” With Caddell Dry Dock close by and
Clean Waters a stone’s throw away, Kress is in tugboat heaven. He says that if Caddell had to move
it would be a disaster for the local tug companies. “It’s a godsend,” he said. “And then there is Clean
Waters, a place to discharge our gray water and black water, and to clean our bilges. It’s the only
place to properly dispose of it. This is an ideal home base for us. “We have very limited options left
to us when it comes to places to move to if it came to that. We’d have to increase our costs, and then
so would our clients, and ultimately the consumer would pay more. This place along the Kills is the
key to the way we live. We’ve been squeezed out of places before, but here is where we make our
last stand.” Miller’s Launch is located adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island,
facing Manhattan. Although the location is around the corner from the Alley, Glen Miller is as
concerned about waterfront development as his colleagues on the Kills are. Miller boasts 70 pieces of
floating equipment, ranging from launches, crew boats, tugboats and truckable tugs, to a TowboatUS
franchise with five rigid-hulled inflatable boats.
Miller, on a tour of the harbor aboard the 95-foot
crew boat Rosemary Miller, explains the value of his
location and describes the diversity of infrastructure
projects that Miller’s Launch provides in the harbor.
“Most companies focus on crew boats or tugboats, etc.,
but we have boats from every column, from 25 to 190
feet. Our focus is not being focused. We are the smallboat providers of New York.” We idle to observe
Gabby L Miller, a 26-foot, 700-hp truckable tug that is
moving construction barges on a waterfront
development project for the contractor Phoenix
Marine. Miller’s yard crew builds the little tugs at the
company’s shop. It’s shallow-water work. We use the heck out of these little boats. If one isn’t
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14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
enough we put in another one. We do the support work moving the crane barges and demolition
barges around. I have another four boats up Newtown Creek doing survey work. They’re the
platform for shallow-water work.” At Homeport, Capt. Adam Clark was at the helm of the 68-foot
conventional tug Susan Miller, working with a Weeks Marine barge on the new FDNY Marine Nine
facility. At Governors Island, a redeveloped Coast Guard base that is now a city park, Miller built
and deployed a 70-foot gangway that will hold 50 tons of rolling stock. The gangway has a ramp to
accommodate a drop transom on Sorenson Miller and Rosemary Miller. So far the company has
landed heavy equipment for the park development, a Corning Museum of Glass exhibit, 18-wheelers
loaded with film industry
equipment and the trucks for a
Dave Matthews Band concert. “I
need to be in the harbor,
especially for my launch
service,” said Miller. “My clients
are there. If I had to move I’d be
out of business. I’ve been moved
twice. I’m in my third location.
The first was when the Navy
moved into Homeport. Now
they’re gone and they’re
building condos there. It’s a bit
annoying to find out that the
condos might win, but now the city seems to be seeing our worth.” In the Kills we cruise by several
of the tug companies, shipyards and a mountain of salt at Atlantic Salt’s storage site where the road
salt waits, ready for the slippery city streets this winter. “Take that away and it will drive up the cost
of salt,” said Miller. “But the good news is it isn’t too late. The city is getting it. I’m an entity and
there is a struggle between condos and commercial interests and the city is seeing that we are a part
of the infrastructure and we make it happen.” Capt. Eric Johansson is executive director of the Port
of New York/New Jersey’s Tug and Barge Committee and an associate professor holding an award
for Excellence in Teaching at the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College. He also
founded the Towing Forum, held at SUNY Maritime College for the past 12 years. “We’ve already
lost a lot of commercial waterfront in the battle between condos and commercial interest,” he said.
“We can’t lose any more. Once you lose it you can’t get it back.” Johansson relates how a Maritime
Support Services Location Study compiled by SUNY Maritime College staffers for the EDC resulted
in saving the Brooklyn Navy Yard from a complete redevelopment. GMD Shipyard, which boasts
the largest dry docking facility in New York City, is alive
and well sharing the historic site with a host of
redevelopment projects. “Prior to the report, the EDC and
other government bodies were not aware that the
maritime industry was still vibrant and alive in New York
Harbor,” said Johansson. “They thought it was dead and
the waterfront it had occupied was ready for
redevelopment. Now they understand that it is alive and is
needed by the city as part of the infrastructure.” Johansson
explains that there are no dry bulk or general cargo docks,
nor is there a heavy lift access site remaining in the city.
“What if Con Ed needs to bring in a transformer?”
Johansson said, referring to the electric utility. He further
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states that the city needs the efficient distribution of petroleum and aggregate that tank and deck
barges provide. “One small 20,000-bbl tank barge is equivalent to 168 5,000-gallon-capacity fuel
trucks on the road. One scow takes the place of 60 18-wheelers. And we pay good taxes and put a lot
of people to work. The city has begun to recognize the significance of the loss if medium- and smallsized ports within the larger port disappear.” Infrastructure for the efficient transport of essential
cargoes within a port seems simple enough to grasp, but both Kress and Johansson emphasize the
statistics that color the marine industry much greener than truck and rail. “The Europeans have it
down to a science,” said Kress. “They’ve taken the trucks off the roads and put the cargo on barges,
doing what we call ‘short sea shipping.’ If you put 400 boxes on a barge you take 400 trucks off the
road. If you take the trucks off the road, you take away traffic jams. The thing about the Marine
Highway is that it is a win, win, win. A win for the environmentalists, a win for our industry and a
win for the consumer. (Source: Professional Mariner story and photos by Brian Gauvin)
Advertisement
F IRST
IN A SERI ES OF FOURTEEN ON SEA TRAI LS
The first view of the new
building from the Astilleros
Armon, S.A.. for their client
ACP Panama. The tug, named
Cerro Itamut, was seen on the
13th March during her sea
trails. The tug is the first one
in a series of fourteen tugs for
the Panama Canal Authority
which was ordered in October
2011. The contract was
awarded to Astilleros Armon
offering the best value
proposal.
The
contract
involves the construction,
testing and staggered delivery of 14-tugs of 70 tons bollard pull. The tug will assist larger vessels
transisting the Canal current and expand transit operations, anchoring and other manoevrers in the
waterway. Main Characteristics: Length o.a. 28.90 mtrs; Length b.p. 28.10 mtrs; Design breadth 13.50
mtrs; Depth to main deck 5.17 mtrs; Design draught 3.24 mtrs; Maximum draught 6.18 mtrs. The two
General Electric 8L250MDA10 main engines develops a total output of 4,666 kW at 1,050 rpm. This
generate a bollared pull of 82 tonnes and a speed of 12.5 knots. She is classed American Bureau of
Shipping, class notation:  A1 Towing Vessel  AMS  ACCU (Source & Picture: Armon)
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14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
P OPULAR B OAT : P OPULAR E NGINE
On the Mississippi and throughout the US
inland waterways pushboats of about 70
feet and with around 2000 hp are
ubiquitous. They can be seen in barge
fleeting operations along the riverbanks
for pushing one or two 30,000-barrel oil
barges. In recent years the standard
power package has been a pair of
Cummins’ popular KV38-M engines.
These V-12-clylinder 2300-cubic-inch
displacement engines have evolved over
the years to take advantage of new
technologies and, more recently, to meet
new environmental standards. Gary
Eymard has been around the inland towboat world for some time also. His most recent boat is
building on spec at his facility on the Ship Canal in Harvey Louisiana. He builds his hulls upside
down and then flips them up on the bank beside the canal before putting the first two levels of
deckhouse on. The wheelhouse, for his current 72x30-foot hull will have a 35.5-foot eye level
elevation above the water. It will be added later. With the 7-inch shafts in place before the hull was
flipped, he will now add the two Cummins KV38-M main engines with their Twin Disc MGX5321
gears with 5.96:1 ratios. Before launching the 74x58-inch four-blade props will be added. Also added
to the Entech and Associates-designed vessel will be the main and flanking rudders. Calvin Klotz,
Vice-President of the Marine Division of Cummins Mid-South reports, "In 2012 we sold a total of 230
of the legendary KV38-M engines to the off-shore and inland river markets. Of these, 170 engines
went to 85 push boats. This was a record year for the Tier 2 compliant, 38-liter engine. We look
forward to continuing to serve our loyal clients and new customers with our new EPA Tier 3
compliant QSK38-M engines with the recently improved common rail fuel systems." When Eymard’s
new towboat is ready for delivery in August of 2013 it will have accommodation for a crew of seven
in four cabins. Tankage will include 18,100 gallons of fuel, 12,900 gallons of water and 820 gallons of
lube oil. In addition to the mains there will be two 65 kW gensets. On deck there will be a pair of
Patterson 40-ton barge winches. (Source: Alan Haig-Brown; Photo courtesy of Eymard Marine
Construction and Repair)
F AMILY
OF TUG CAPTAIN SUSPECTS FOUL PLAY R EGARDING MISSING
PERSON CASE
One month after the new captain boarded the "Skua" at the port of Luderitz and then vanished, the
man from Bhavnagar is still missing. Two investigations, conducted by the shipping company and
Namibian police, simply declared him missing, though his family members insisted they wanted to
know how he went missing from the docked ship. According to a report sent by the Dubai-based
company, Jampur International FZE, to India's external affairs ministry Gohil boarded the vessel
which was docked four nautical miles from the port at 10 p.m. on Feb 12, 2013, met the port pilot
and then proceeded to inspect the vessel. At 1 a.m., the port control asked the vessel to set sail, but
Gohil informed they intended to set off only in the morning due to poor visibility. The vessel,
which had come from Brazil and docked two days before Gohil joined, was bound for Mauritius.
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Gohil was last seen at 5 a.m. on Feb 13. At 6 a.m., when the vessel was ready to sail, he was reported
missing. Gohil's family members said he was not new to the profession. He had worked for 14 years
and worked in various shipping companies in Dubai, Singapore, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Circumstances under which he went missing suggest something went wrong with him, family
members were placing the blame to the company which they said was not forthright in cooperating
with them or with Namibian or Indian authorities. Company officials said he might have fallen into
the sea, in which case it is hard to survive because the sea there is shark-infested. The ship left on
Feb 24. Gohil might also have committed suicide by jumping off the ship, though his family
members said there was no apparent reason to indicate he might have committed suicide. A report,
prepared by the Namibian police, said he was last sighted smoking heavily in his cabin. He was a
forthright person who could not have accepted anything wrong. Officials of external affairs ministry
said they contacted India's high commission in Namibia and sent their officials to the site from
where Gohil went missing, to prepare a report. The company to which the ship belongs has not
been encouraging any further investigation into the matter. The company was initially reluctant in
sharing any information. (Source: Vesseltracker)
B OGAZICI
DELIVERS TWO TUGS
The 65+ bollard pull ASD
Multi-Purpose Escort Tug
boat
“Gladiator”
(exBogazici 11) which has
been built and delivered to
her Italian owner at the
end of December 2012 by
Bogazici Denizcilik San. ve
Tic.
A.S.
(Bogazici
Shipping)
of
Turkey
started giving service at
Trieste Port of Italy.
Following above unit,
M/Tug “Metro Tug 12” (ex-Bogazici 12) has been also successfully and timely delivered by Bogazici
Shipping to her new Panama owner at the end of February 2013. (Press Release Bogazici)
GSP S ATURN
DEPART FROM TH E I JMOND
In the afternoon of March 12 the drilling rig GSP Saturn departed from Ijmuiden; Netherlands to the
North Sea. Where the South of the Netherlands was covered under a thick cloud layer, from which
a lot of snow has come down, in Ijmuiden the heaven was tight blue. The leading tug Boulder from
Tschudi Offshore (former ITC) was assisted by the Iskes tugs Brent, Ginger, Triton and Argus.
Between the piers the tugs Triton and Argus were released, the tugs Brent and Ginger went to sea to
assist the Saturn to her location. On the picture is seen the GPS Saturn with in front the Boulder.
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Behind the Boulder is seen the
Arca which was active with
survey work. The Brent and
portside foreward the Ginger.
After the rig is seen the Argus
and the Triton some were hiding
herself behind the Saturn.
(Photo: Jan Plug)
P OINT C OMFORT T OWING
GETS A NEW TUG BOAT
“I christen the tug, Carl,” said Lorrie
Robinson, as she broke a bottle of
champagne on the new tugboat. With
over 175 people in attendance, a new
tractor tug named Carl was christened
at the Port of Port Lavaca-Point
Comfort on Wednesday afternoon.
Robinson is the wife of recently
retired Capt. Larry Robinson, the longtime leader of Matagorda Ship Channel
Pilots Association. Also during the
ceremony, several local dignitaries
spoke. (Source: Port Lavaca Wave)
Advertisement
S MIT A BACO
SOLD
It has been reported that on the 1st February 2013 the 2004 built Argentina registered with call sign
LW2637 tug Smit Abaco (Imo 9305257) has been sold to Antares Naveira S.A. – Buenos Aires and
renamed in Diaguita. The tug was built by Keppel Singmarine Pte. Ltd - Singapore under number
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DATED 20 MARCH 2013
270 as KST Sedna for Keppel Smit
Towage Pte. Ltd – Singapore. On 11th
July 2005 sold to Smit-Lloyd (Antilles)
NV" and managed by Smit International
Bahamas Ltd – Freeport; Bahamas and
renamed Smit Abaco. In February 2011
Smit International Argentina – Buenos
Aires. The tug has a length of 27.90 mtrs
a beam of 9.00 mtrs and a depth of 3.80
mtrs. The two Niigata 6L22HLX diesel
engines develops a total output of 1,323
kW (1,800 bhp). The speed is 12 knots
and the bollard pull 46 tonnes. (Photo:
S.Siebel)
ACCIDENTS – SALVAGE NEWS
E X -USS G UARDIAN W RECK R EMO VAL C ONTI NUES
The U.S. Navy-contracted vessels Jascon 25
and the tugboat Archon Tide are positioned
next
to
the
Avenger-class
mine
countermeasures ship ex-Guardian (MCM 5)
during salvage operations. Guardian ran
aground on the Tubbataha Reef Jan. 17. The
U.S. Navy continues to work in close
cooperation with the Philippine authorities to
safely dismantle Guardian from the reef while
minimizing environmental effects. (Source &
Photo: U.S. Navy Mass Communication
Specialist 1st Class Anderson Bomjardim).
Update: Salvage team begins cutting of USS Guardian’s engine room. The USS Guardian dismantling
operation continued during the weekend in preparation for the cutting of the US Navy
minesweeper’s engine room, according to the spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo, also chief of the PCG’s public affairs office, on Sunday said
the US Navy-contracted salvage team was “in the process of clearing the USS Guardian’s engine
room and the lower deck of equipment, loose materials and debris.” In a text message to the
Philippine Daily Inquirer, he also disclosed that “good weather in the Tubbataha Reef (in the Sulu
Sea) has allowed the salvage operation to progress.” “Wind speeds of 10 to 15 knots and waves of 0.6
to 1 meter are prevailing in the reef area,” noted Balilo. The salvage team “has dismantled over 50
percent of the USS Guardian,” said the Coast Guard’s Palawan district in a report to the PCG
headquarters in Manila. The Coast Guard search-and-rescue vessel BRP Romblon (SARV 3503) is
closely monitoring the salvage operation, led by the main crane ship Jascon 25, according to Balilo.
Seven other ships were in the vicinity: the US Navy supply ship Wally Schirra, USS Salvor, crane
ship SMIT Borneo, barge Seabridge S-700, tugs Archon Tide and Intrepid, and the Malayan tow
vessel Trabajador 1. Last week, the USS Guardian’s four engines, as well as its two diesel generators
and fantail cranes, were successfully removed and transferred to the Seabridge by the Jascon 25. The
salvage team is expecting favorable weather conditions in the reef area in the next three to four days
11/17
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
that would allow it to continue work on the 68-meter US Navy vessel, which ran aground on the
reef on January 17. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)
UBC S ACRAMENTO
HELPED TO SAVE CREW OF BLAZI NG CARGO SHI P
Enroute
CartagenaBarranquilla the "UBC
Sacramento" on Mar 10,
2013, at 9 a.m. was
contacted
by
the
Barranquilla Port Control
while
approaching
Barranquilla
anchorage
area if they could assist in a
MayDay situation. The
position
received
was
rather unclear, because the
first was a inland position.
However
the
ship
proceeded northward and could see grey and whilte smoke arising at the horizon after 10-15
minutes five miles off Bocas de Cenizas. When coming closer the crew received info from the port
control that the crew of the "FM Express", 770 dwt (IMO: 7330076) was abandoning ship and
drifting at the stern in the liferaft. The smoke became really thick. The fiercely burning "FM
Express" was approached in dead slow speed, against 30 kn winds, making about 1.8 kn. The "UBC
Sacramento" stopped for a monment when the starboard quarter came into view. There was a raft
but nobody visible inside. A small Coast Guard boat did not see anything either. The freighter crew
then spotted a red dot 1,1 miles North which was the roof of another life raft. The " UBS
Sacramento" proceeded behind the Coast Guard boat with full speed. On the way the Coast Guard
boat broke down with one engine. The "UBC Sacramento" was manoeuvered about 1 cable to the
wind side. Both side pilot ladders were down into the water, lifebuoays and heavinglines on stand
by. Bringing out the rescue boat would have neen a last option if needed. Then the Coast Guard
boat managed again to approach the life raft. The "UBC Sacramento" stopped in the position being
with the hope that the wind would not push the ship too quick onto the raft. The people managed
rather quick to get from the raft to the Coast Guard vessel. By that time the freighter was only about
30-40 m away from the raft with the starboard aft quarter. On full ahead and hard-a-starboard the
"UBS Sacramento" managed to get clear again. On the way back it made another pass at the burning
ship because nobody could tell if the raft still attached to the vessel was empty or not. However the
Crew could not see anyhing further. Then they received message from the Port Control that the
crew of the "FM Express" was supposedly seven persons and that's what was counted from the
bridge of the "UBS Sacramento" when they were pulled into the Coast Guard boat. The crew said a
short circuit cause a fire in the engine room. The "FM Express" had been carrying a cargo of 300
tons consisting of appliances, dishes and food bound from Colon in Panama to Puerto Nuevo in La
Guajira. (Source: La Tarde; Vesseltracker; Photo: Captain Ted)
12/17
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
OFFSHORE NEWS
T ETHYS S UPPO RTER
M ALTA
FOR BUNKER CALL IN
The 1978 built Panama flag offshore
support
vessel
Tethys
Supporter
underway to OPL Malta for bunkering
operations on Tuesday 12th March,
2013. She’s the former Swedish
Coastguard support vessel KBV 004.
(Photo: Capt. Lawrence Dalli
www.maltashipphotos.com)
-
DOF S UBSEA S ELLS C ONSTRUCTION S UPPO RT V ESSEL ‘G EOBAY ’
DOF Subsea Group has entered
into an agreement where the
1978 built D2 multipurpose
construction support vessel
Geobay is sold to a Middle East
buyer. The selling price is
slightly above book value of the
vessel. The sale is expected to be
completed after the ongoing
project utilizing the vessel is
finalized in May 2013. (Source:
DOF Subsea)
I CEBREAKI NG
A SSIGNMENT
S UPPLY
V ESSEL
‘V ITUS
B ERI NG ’
ON
I TS
F IRST
On 7 March Sovcomflot’s new multifunctional icebreaking supply vessel Vitus Bering set sail on her
first scheduled crossing from the port of Kholmsk to engage in work on the Sakhalin-I project as part
of a long-term agreement with Exxon Neftegas Ltd. In mid-January, Vitus Bering left SaintPetersburg and travelled approximately 13,000 nautical miles in 45 days, arriving at her area of
13/17
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
permanent operations in the Sea of
Okhotsk on 1 March. Following loading
and bunkerage at the port of Vanino, the
vessel proceeded to the Orlan drilling
platform situated in the north of the Sea
of Okhotsk on Sakhalin Island’s coastal
shelf. It took a total of 2.5 days to reach
the platform. Vitus Bering is to be
engaged in the year-round support of
offshore drilling platforms and will
service the Orlan platform as well as
supplying the Berkut platform. This
supply vessel will operate in challenging
climatic conditions and ice of up to 1.5 metres in thickness. The crew consists of 21 shipboard
personnel, all of whom are citizens of the Russian Federation. In January this year a grand naming
ceremony took place in Saint-Petersburg for SCF Group’s new supply vessel Vitus Bering. The
Russian flag was hoisted aboard the ship – a joint construction project involving both Russian and
Finnish shipbuilders. The ceremony was attended in person by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Source: SCF Group)
R ETURN
FROM TRAILS
In the afternoon of March 12,
the new building Seismic
Support vessel Astra G (Imo
9648491) was seen returning
from her technical trails. The
vessel is built by Damen
Shipyard group and fitted out at
Stellendam; Netherlands. She
will be handed over after
completion to her owners
Rederij Groen B.V. – Den
Helder; Netherlands. She is
Panama registered with call sign
HP8120. The vessel has a length
o.a. 40.00 mtrs a length b.p of 36.80 mtrs a beam 9.30 mtrs a draught of 3.30 mtrs and a depth of
4.60 mtrs. Her grt is 499 tonnes and dwt is 250 tonnes. The two Caterpillar C32 Acert delivered a
total output of 1,940 kW. (Photo: Willem Koper)
14/17
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
E SVAGT C ELESTE
Last week was seen in the South
African port of Cape Town the new
building Safety Standby vessel Esvagt
Celeste (Imo 9641651) underway
from Singapore to the North Sea. She
is owned and managed by Esvagt –
Esbjerg; Denmark. The vessel made a
bunker call . The Danish registered
vessel with call sign OWKR2 is built
by ASL Marine Holdings – Singapore.
She has a grt of 963 tonnes and a dwt
of 647 tonnes and is classed Lloyds
Register of Shipping. (Photo: Aad
Noorland)
YARD NEWS
B ERGEN G ROUP F OSEN S ECURES AHTS O UTFI TTING C ONTRACT
Bergen Group Fosen has signed
a contract with NFDS Offshore
1 AS for outfitting and
commissioning of a new and
modern anchor handling tug
supply vessels (AHTS). NFDS
Offshore 1 AS is a subsidiary of
Det
Nordenfjeldske
Dampskibsselskap
AS,
a
company where BOA Offshore
holds the majority share. The
contract is valued at more than
NOK 600 million, and ensures
NFDS Offshore 1 AS a fully
commissioned and operational
ship by the end of the 1st quarter of 2014. All the necessary funding and board approval for the
project is clarified. The contract also includes an option for outfitting and commissioning of a similar
vessel. The modern anchor handling offshore vessel, a VS 491 CD AHTS design, has a length of 91
meters and a beam of 22 meters. The hull, which is already constructed at Nantong Mingde Heavy
Industries in China, is expected to arrive Fosen in late Q2 this year. The contract will generate
outfitting work at Bergen Group Fosen from summer 2013 to the end of Q1 2014. Bergen Group
Fosen now has an order book that provides a stable outfitting activity until Q2 2015, with two
newbuilding deliveries in 2013 (both cruise ferries to Fjord Line) two deliveries in 2014 (OCV for
Volstad and AHTS to NFDS/BOA) and a delivery in the first half of 2015 (OCV for Volstad). Bergen
Group Fosen has previously delivered two advanced offshore 3D EM- vessel to BOA Offshore; BOA
Thalassa in 2008 and BOA Galatea in 2009. (Source: Bergen Group)
15/17
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013
E DDA A CCOMMODATION O RDERS N EW V ESSEL
FROM
H YUNDAI H EAVY
Edda Accommodation, operated by
Østensjø Rederi, has placed an order for a
new mono hull accommodation vessel
plus one optional vessel at Hyundai
Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. By placing this
order Edda Accommodation is expanding
the commercial and technical success of
its existing accommodation vessel, Edda
Fides. This next generation Offshore
Accommodation Vessel, designed by Salt
Ship Design, is 155 meter long and will
have a total accommodation capacity of
800 persons in one or two men cabins.
The interior of the vessel is of executive standard, and will include 850 m2 office space as well as
recreation areas, such as modern gym, sauna, two swimming pools, conference rooms and an
auditorium. Delivery of the first vessel will be in June 2015. The newbuild will be equipped with a
heave compensated telescopic gangway at a length of 55.5 meters. In addition, a cargo deck area of
2000 m2, a 120t rig support crane and two supply cranes, will make the vessel highly suitable for
cargo handling and construction support. When finished, the vessel will provide construction
support and additional living quarters for support personnel during commissioning, maintenance and
decommissioning of offshore installations world-wide. The vessel is also designed for operating in
artic areas. The decision of ordering a new monohull accommodation vessel is a result of the
successful experience with the company’s existing accommodation vessel, Edda Fides. Since the
delivery in March 2011, Edda Fides has proven the capabilities of a mono-hull accommodation
design, by successfully completing projects in the North Sea, the Mediterranean and Australia.
(Source: Østensjø Rederi)
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16/17
14TH VOLUME, NO. 14
DATED 20 MARCH 2013

Fender Innovations supplies fenders for new KNRM lifeboats

Boskalis posts record revenue for 2012
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